Daily Bible Reading Devotional [Luke 18:31-34] December 8, 2017


Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time


Luke 18:31-34

31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.


Observations & Reflections


Of the synoptic gospels Luke is the only one that declared that Jesus’ death and resurrection was the completion of the prophets. It’s possible that in Mark and Matthew it’s implied but Luke has a habit of clearing up thing and smoothing difficult passages over. It seems here that Luke was trying to make sure the audience knew that Jesus’ death was foretold in the prophets and was expected. It would have been mockery to the gentiles to think that the messiah could be put down by the hands of the Romans. That makes him just another man.

we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles (1 Cor 1:23)

Thus, Luke’s gospel which was going to the gentiles, does a good job of making sense of a few things that gentile thinkers would have had trouble with.

 

Matthew 20:17-19 Mark 10:32-34 Luke 18:31-34
17 As Jesus was going
up to Jerusalem,
he took the twelve disciples
aside, and on the
way he said to them,
18 “Behold, we are going
up to Jerusalem, and
the Son of Man will be
delivered to the chief
priests and scribes, and
they will condemn him to
death, 19 and will
hand him over to the
Gentiles
to mock, to scourge, and
to crucify;
and the third day he will
be raised up.”
32 They were on the
way, going up to Jerusalem;
and Jesus was going
in front of them, and
they were amazed; and
those who followed were
afraid. He again took the
twelve, and began to tell
them the things that
were going to happen to
him. 33 “Behold, we
are going up to Jerusalem.
The Son of Man will
be delivered to the chief
priests and the scribes.
They will condemn him
to death, and will deliver
him to the Gentiles.
34 They will mock
him, spit on him,
scourge him, and kill
him. On the third day he
will rise again.”
31 He took the twelve
aside, and said to them,
“Behold, we are going up
to Jerusalem, and all the
things that are written
through the prophets
concerning the Son of
Man will be completed.
18:32 For he will be delivered
up to the Gentiles,
will be mocked,
treated shamefully, and
spit on. 18:33 They will
scourge and kill him. On
the third day, he will rise
again.”

It is remarkable, however, that all 3 synoptic gospels include this passage. The importance of this passage cannot be overstated. In the words of Paul, without the crucifixion and resurrection, there is no hope. It is possibly the most important feature of our faith.

 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (1 Corinthians 15:12-18)


[Featured image is a 14th century fresco from the Collegiate Church of San Gimignano, by Lippo Memmi.]

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